Designer: Griffin Buck
Think back to summer of 2024. The Summer Olympics were everywhere- in stores, magazines, social media, television and more. In winter 2026, Jack Hughes’ gold medal winning goal was the biggest news story for weeks.
Every time these events happen, the world is reminded of just how hard these elite athletes work. However, this work does not just take place every four years or before big competitions. These athletes are pushing themselves every day.
In Lewis Center, girls wrestling senior Kenzie Carder is putting in the work every day. This summer, Carder won a national championship at Fargo Junior Nationals. Carder wrestled nationally ranked opponents from all over the country at one of the biggest wrestling tournaments in the world. As a committed athlete, she knows just how hard she must work.
“A day in season for me usually starts with a normal school day, followed up by lifting, school practice and then typically club practice after that. Then, I get home, shower and eat dinner with my parents before I go to bed,” Carder said.
English Teacher and Head Girls Wrestling Coach Brian Nicola is very experienced in coaching these high-level athletes. He knows first-hand the work these athletes put in.
“These athletes push limits within themselves through compartmentalization of training, by making time for relaxation or hobbies and not making it bigger than what it is,” Nicola said.
Carder is also familiar with pushing through limits. She battles through challenges every day whilst training or competing. Carder is an Ohio state champion and is no stranger to hard work.
“One of the most challenging aspects is doing what you know has to be done to accomplish your goals even when you have people or distractions pulling you in different directions. Also just doing what you need to do, even on the really hard days, it will be worth it in the end to always have my best effort,” Carder said.
These athletes, clearly, are hard workers. They want to put in hard work, and this can lead to wanting to train every day.
“The most challenging aspect about coaching high level athletes is encouraging the ‘rest day’,” Nicola said.
Elite athletes face many mental challenges at such a high level of competition and training. This can lead to lots of issues with mentality.
“Some mental challenges these athletes have to work through are self-doubt and burnout,” Nicola said.
While these can be common feelings, they can be amplified for high-level athletes and can cause problems. Famously, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles could not compete for part of the 2020 Olympics due to a mental block. This means it is important for athletes to also prioritize their mental health along with their physical health.
“I make sure to not put too much pressure on myself. A really good thing that many people have told me is that my mom, dad, family, friends and people who truly care about me aren’t going to love me any differently depending on the outcome of my match. This sport is just an opportunity for me to try my best in something and see how far I can push myself,” Carder said.
While the athlete is the one who influences their mentality the most, the coach also plays a part in this. The coach must make sure the athlete is put in the best position possible for matches, games or competitions.
“To put these athletes in the best possible position, we know their ins and outs, help them prepare with match breakdown and build a training plan that allows for recovery and adequate workouts,” Nicola said.
Working to perform at such a high level requires a lot of dedication and time from both the coach and the athlete. Despite the challenges that accompany competing at such a high level, there are upsides.
“My favorite part of coaching high level athletes is that they are committed to the training, and you don’t need to sell them on the ‘why’”, Nicola said.
While the coach experiences the good parts of elite athletics, the athlete does too.
“I enjoy just the moments of gratitude. Unfortunately it’s really easy to take things for granted in the moment when people put so much into me. In all of my highs and lows though, I just am always so overflowed with gratitude because I am directly faced with just how much the people in my life do and have done for me. Even just the smallest text that I might get from my brother before a match just makes everything absolutely worth it,” Carder said.
When people watch these athletes on screen, they usually only recognize how impressive their performances are. What they don’t think about is the blood, sweat and tears these athletes give to their sport. These people are pushing past impossible limits every day.
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